Re-Visiting 2011: Lars Von Trier's Melancholia & the Performance of Kirsten Dunst's Career

2011 was a painful year for many of us invested in the Academy Awards. Yes, this was the year that Meryl Streep (undeservedly) won her 3rd Oscar over Viola Davis, the year Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close got a Best Picture nomination, and the year Michael Fassbender's raw, haunting turn in Shame was ignored completely. But among the many heartbreaks listed and unlisted, possibly the biggest heartbreak was the exclusion of Kirsten Dunst's transcendent work in controversial Lars Von Trier's poetic masterpiece Melancholia.

10 Songs You Should Be Listening To (But probably aren't)

Here at Jon On Film, I usually rant and rant about movies and The Oscars and so on and so forth. But today as I was leaving my News Reporting class and listening to my iPod on the way to Starbucks', I quickly sent a text to my best friend telling her she should listen to this song I became completely obsessed with for about an hour. And then I thought, I should do a list of music people aren't listening to, because 1.) It's a little break from the amount of movie related posts and (most importantly) 2.) Who has a better opinion than I do when it comes to stuff like this? (The correct answer is nobody). So here we go, maybe you'll find something you like and become obsessed like I am right now.

Carrie: Remake of the 70s Horror Masterpiece falls flat

Chloe Grace Moretz as Carrie White in the new adaptation, directed by Kimberly Pierce (courtesy of Parade.com)

Everyone remembers Carrie White (whether they'd like to or not), the role originated by Academy Award Winner Sissy Spacek in the film adaptation of Steven King's famous novel. Carrie was considered a landmark horror film when it debuted in the 1970s, and has since been reffered to as one of the best films ever made. It made Sissy Spacek a household name, launching her career. In addition, the film was a box office success, and was recognized in major categories at the Oscars (recognizably in Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress) which was very unusual because the horror genre is usually ignored when it comes to major awards. To say this new adaptation starring up and coming starlet Chloe Grace Moretz and Academy Award Nominee Julianne Moore had big shoes to fill, is an understatement.

Interview with The Film Experience's Nathaniel Rogers

Ever since I began thinking about pursuing a career in journalism, my love for film and awards season was something I and everyone around me was very aware of. My nickname in high school was IMDB (after the website, Internet Movie Database [imdb.com]), and whenever we'd watch movies in class, my teachers would jokingly ask me how many Oscars the movie won/was nominated for, who was in it, who directed it, etc. I knew that it was something I wanted to make a career out of. 

Nathaniel Rogers (courtesy of Nathaniel's site, The Film Experience)

It was this point in my life that I started becoming more active on the internet, and I discovered various film blogs and sites where people wrote about their love of film, which contenders for the Oscars they were championing. Nathaniel Rogers (of The Film Experience) was one of these people that I discovered, and has since then been a source of inspiration in my writing and future aspirations. Nathaniel does everything that I would love to do in the future. He is a member of the Gurus of Gold, a group of respected critics and bloggers who weigh in on who they feel will be the major players in the Oscar race. In addition to this prestigious honor, he has interviewed people such as Nicole Kidman, Kerry Washington, Charlize Theron, Jessica Chastain, and many others. He also attends film festivals, screenings, and does write ups of films and many other topics all on his incredibly entertaining website. To say he's an expert in the field, is an understatement. (You can read more about Nathaniel here).

Tina Fey and Amy Poehler sign on to host the 71st and 72nd Golden Globes

That's right! USA Today  reports that our favorite awards show hosts have signed on for the next 2 Golden Globe ceremonies!

Tina & Amy at last year's ceremony (courtesy of nydailynews)

Revisiting Sofia Coppola's The Bling Ring: A Case for Emma Watson in Best Supporting Actress

Emma Watson as Nicki Moore in Sofia Coppola's, "The Bling Ring" (screencap taken by me)

Emma Watson's career in Hollywood has been one that every aspiring young actress dreams of. Discovered at the age of 9, she was cast in the explosively popular and successful Harry Potter series as best friend Hermione Granger. However, things proved a bit of a rough start after the end of her work in the Potter films. Though Watson's acting was solid throughout the series, people wondered: Where would these kids end up after the series closed out? Leading man Daniel Radcliffe seemed to have the best chances out of the three young actors, and people just expected Emma Watson to become like so many leading ladies of huge franchises before her (Carrie Fisher from Star Wars comes to mind): pop out a few supporting roles in high profile films, and then fade into obscurity. 

New Trailer for Philomena Solidifies Judi Dench's Position in the Best Actress Race

Judi Dench and Steve Coogan (credit. collider.com)
A new trailer for Judi Dench's Oscar vehicle, "Philomena" has landed. The film was warmly received at this year's Venice film festival (where it won a screenplay award) and Toronto film festival. However, buzz for the film has been surprisingly quiet given the mammoth sized performance from Dench it was said to hold, you'd figure the buzz would be a little louder. But after watching the new trailer  you can tell Dench won't be counted out quite so easily, even if the campaign that's positioned around the film is small. Judi Dench is a previous winner and has been nominated a total of 6 times (4 of those being Best Actress nominations).

Link It Up: Cool stories in the Movie World!

Here are just 5 of the interesting updates happening in Hollywood/the film world/Oscar circuit at this time. Enjoy!

Gravity: Not Just A Film, but an Experience

Sandra Bullock and George Clooney in Gravity (Credit. Warner Bros.)

I'm sure by now you've all heard the rave reviews for Alfonso Cuaron's sci-fi epic "Gravity" starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney. I'm sure you've all heard words like "amazing", "perfect", "breathtaking", in addition to raves for Sandra Bullock's performance. When movies like this come along, it's often impossible for them to live up to some of the hype. The horror movie "The Conjuring" that opened earlier this summer is an example. While it was disturbing and horrifying, it was not as frightening as marketing made it seem (largely in part to its borrowed tricks from films such as The Exorcist. However, the film was still excellent). Gravity, I'm pleased to announce, is not in the same category as overhyped films such as The Conjuring. It is as good (if not better) as everyone has been raving.

Gravity...... is coming

I'll be going to see Alfonoso Cuaron's critically acclaimed Sci-Fi film Gravity either tonight or tomorrow. A review will follow. Stay tuned!!